Adventures in Mordor
by Ronnocius
Summary: The Orcs of Mordor are in a constant struggle for survival. They must fend off any of the natural threats of the savage land, the ferocious Tribesmen of Nurn, Sauron's wrath and even each other. Their greatest threat has now emerged: a Ranger from the Black Gate possessed by an elven wraith. Can they climb up the military hierarchy without dying?
1. Prologue

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor  
Prologue

The Uruks sat around a campfire, with the flames illuminating their faces in the darkness. While Uruks could see well at night, there had been a Ghûl assault recently, and any Uruks on guard duty made sure to light fires to ward off any of the scavengers. Uruks weren't usually too afraid of the creatures; as ghastly as they looked, they were diminutive and easily defeated, but their numbers and courage had gone up lately and Ghûl attacks were becoming increasingly common.

Ashgarn's eyes had been trained to see in both darkness and light, and as he crept towards the Uruks, he checked his weapons. They were in place. Ashgarn did not use the makeshift "weapons" that the typical Orc wielded. Ashgarn's sword had been taken from one of the elite warriors of the Nurnen Tribesmen. The sword was high quality and had been cleaned often and used sparingly; its former owner was very cautious with his weapons. The dagger's blade was made of an onyx-black metal, and was enchanted by some sort of magical or mystical energy. Ashgarn still remembered the day he had snatched the item from an ancient Mordor tomb.

The Uruks were oblivious to their fate, chatting about the latest duels and how useless slaves were. Ashgarn crept upon the nearest one, whose was squatting and facing the fire. Ashgarn eyed his exposed back and quickly formulated a plan of attack. Just as the spindly Orc leapt towards the squatting Uruk, a ghostly blue projectile flew into the fire. The fire exploded, propelling the Uruks multiple meters away and showering them with hot coals. The burning corpse of his first target slammed into him mid-air, and Ashgarn crashed into the ground painfully before falling unconscious.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
Ashgarn awoke, his head pounding and extreme pain radiating from his whole body. A figure stood above him.  
An Orc? Ashgarn thought. Could it be... the Gravewalker?  
Ashgarn's eyes widened as his vision became better. It was a Ghûl! Ashgarn punched the wretched creature in the face and it recoiled. Ashgarn felt lucky that his slender form allowed him to wiggle away from the Ghûl. The Orc got to his feet and surveyed the situation. There were only two of them, but if he didn't act fast they would hide underground and summon the rest of their kin.  
Ashgarn sniffed. His superior Orc sense of smell told him that there was one of the dead Uruks a few meters away. Ashgarn leapt over there, barely avoiding the Ghûl that lunged at him with its claws. Grabbing the dead Uruk's weapon, Ashgarn charged into the Ghûl. Swinging the blade, he sliced it diagonally from the right shoulder across the chest, killing the beast. Instinctively Ashgarn somersaulted, avoiding a Ghûl paw. The Orc turned around and simultaneously swung his sword, decapitating the foul Ghûl.  
They were right to be cautious, it is a bad time for Ghûls. Ashgarn thought.  
The Orc pondered the options. He judged that it was only one or two hours until sunrise. Lighting a fire would ward off any more Ghûls, but could attract other Uruks. Or the Gravewalker. The more Ashgarn thought of it, the more he realized that he was one of the few survivors of an encounter with the feared Ranger. Ashgarn was in awe of the power he had shown, slaying four Orcs with a single bolt. Of course the Orc had heard stories of the Gravewalker, but he assumed they were filled with fear and hyperbole. If the Ranger was that powerful, were the rumors of his power of resurrection true? Ashgarn shrugged it off. He was no better than a common warrior with talk like that.  
Ashgarn decided that it wasn't worth the risk and decided to return to his master's stronghold. Ashgarn was currently working for a local Warchief, Zunn the Shield, though his loyalties tended to change whenever the odds weren't in his favor. Zunn used Ashgarn as an assassin, hunting down renegades, traitors, and potential rivals. Ashgarn's latest assignment had been to hunt down four Uruks who had stolen a few of the Warchief's slaves, cut them up, and sold the meat in his own Stronghold's market. "Soft meat" as human meat was often dubbed, was a rare commodity and many Orcs considered it a delicacy.  
The Uruks were dead with no witnesses, and Ashgarn looked forward to his payment. The Warchief was generous, and paid in food, slaves, and shelter. Ashgarn realized how important the last one was in preserving his lifespan. While many Orcs would rather find a remote spot to nap, Ashgarn preferred his apartment. It was in the middle of a Stronghold, and because of this was especially well protected.  
"Ashgarn, good to see you. Someone is waiting for your report," Stakûga, one of Zunn's lieutenants, greeted Ashgarn.  
"I will go see him once I get some grub," Ashgarn replied.  
Chapter Two  
As Ashgarn walked through the bustling stronghold he felt much better. Ratanàk was one of the best chefs in all of Mordor, and some of the hunters had caught a Caragor. Ashgarn burped under his breath and walked towards Ûkshak's dwelling. Ûkshak was the intermediary that Zunn used to communicate with Ashgarn and his other assassins. Ashgarn had met him in person before, of course, but only when he was given very important assignments.  
"Seen any Ghûls lately?" Ûkshak asked. The Orc had a very scratchy voice and long nose.  
"No, only Hell-hawks," Ashgarn said, finishing the key phrase. Even though Ûkshak knew who he was they still used a key phrase so they could be especially professional.  
"The mission is completed, the Uruks were slain," Ashgarn said.  
"Perfect. Zunn doesn't tolerate thievery," Ûkshak replied.  
"Your next task is the hardest yet; we need you to infiltrate another Stronghold and spy on the Warchief for us," Ûkshak said, "Zunn will give you a full briefing at midnight. Meet him in Zûgor's forge."  
"Alright globs! Quit slacking and start stacking or you'll be supper!" a nearby Uruk said to the pair of Orcs, indicating some boxes that needed to be stacked.  
I'll have to kill him later, Ashgarn thought as he started working.


	3. Chapter 2

An hour before the agreed-upon time for the discreet meeting between Zunn and Ashgarn, Hûra and his underlings had secured Zûgor's forge. The dimwitted brute had reluctantly agreed to allow them to use it for a night in exchange for a slave. Zûgor was dumb, but even knew not to ask too many questions. After half an hour, Hûra declared it safe and his five Uruk warriors set up a perimeter, patiently waiting on the renowned Warchief. Zunn had wanted to keep the meeting quick and secretive, so he was forced to keep the number of Orcs involved low.

Although he was very reclusive and rarely seen in public, Zunn was considered by the general populace to be a good boss. They might not have thought this if they knew the details of his backstory, of which only a privileged few were entitled to know. Hûra smiled, knowing that if he so chose he could reveal all of his master's secrets, though there was a good chance it would end with his death. Hûra scowled as he thought of Ashgarn. The scrawny Orc wasn't very strong, and though he was fast it astounded Hûra how he could kill so many Uruks.

Hûra stretched and yawned. Unlike most other Orcs, he preferred to sleep at night and roam during the day. As a lieutenant, he was not assigned a duty, in fact he was the one who assigned duties. Hûra typically left these administrative doings to clever Orcs. Hûra jumped a little as a brawny Uruk ran out of the shadows and to the entrance. A quiet series of taps on the door revealed that he was one of the Warchief's guard and that Zunn would be here any moment. An Uruk opened the door (which had been greased to prevent noise) and let the Uruk in.

Hûra recognized him as Norsko, a good friend of his and a fellow lieutenant. Norsko was the only one Hûra fully trusted. They had stuck together since the spawn pits, and even the Gravewalker's manipulation couldn't lead them to betray one another, or so they thought.

Zunn the Shield grunted as he walked through the small doorway and into the forge. A candle was lit and Zunn took a seat in the only chair. It was a crudely fashioned object made of stone, and less comfortable than what Zunn was used to. Zunn wasn't too complacent though; he remembered the days as a mere defender, slaving away for some moronic Captain, working on the orders of a slightly-less idiotic Warchief.

A short time later Ashgarn walked in. The Orc assassin's face was clean, free from scars and the devastating disease that plagued many unfortunate Uruks. Ashgarn was skinny and weak, however, and against a foe both strong and cunning he would surely lose. Ashgarn knew this and thus used stealth to assassinate his targets.

"Hello Ashgarn," Zunn said, "you will be rewarded _very_ richly if you complete this task for me."

"I need you to infiltrate the ranks of Krakhorn Slashface," he continued, "I take it you know of him?"

"Indeed, master," Ashgarn replied, "I once thought of him as an Orc to idolize, but his recent corruption has made me despise him."

"It is the same with me, Ashgarn," Zunn said, "he is a disgrace to all that it means to be Warchief."

"I will need detailed information on his fears and fighting style," Zunn explained, "none of my other sources can get this information. Will you be able to help me?"

"I will, master," Ashgarn said before stalking out of the forge, a smile on his face. Ashgarn had a few contacts that would make this job much easier...


End file.
